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Jeff's Review of:
Bedazzled

Oct. 22, 2000

2000, 1 hr 35 min., Rated PG-13 for sex-related humor, language and some drug content.�Dir: Harold Ramis. Cast: Brendan Fraser (Elliot), Elizabeth Hurley (The Devil), Frances O'Connor (Allison).

I really hope no one mistakes Bamboozled for Bedazzled and sees the unintended one this weekend. In the former, a pretentious Spike Lee directs a would-be comedy with racial overtones (like usual); the latter, Elizabeth Hurley - in several, several tempting outfits - is the Devil and seduces Brendan Fraser to sell his soul for seven wishes. Thus, you can see that seeing the wrong one might cause quite the confusion.

I, however, made absolutely no mistake about which movie I was to see. Having sworn off all thought of ever seeing another Spike Lee joint after Summer of Sam, I was determined to see the right -zled, because to see Lee's dull style lately is to see zzzzzzzzzzled.

(Forgive me, since I'm on vacation and writing this on the fly without my usual one or two days of editing and checking grammar on Microsoft Word and no down time at work at my disposal.)

Right off the bat (actually not right off the bat, since I went on my anti-Spike rant, but let's pretend I started with the film, so sort-of right off the bat), let me say that Bedazzled was a cute and funny film that had us (me, Scott, Jenn and Scott's Vanderbilt classmate, Roger, who happened upon us by chance at the theater) guffawing audibly in many places and cringing in others - in a good way. When you have a film like this with such a doofus for a lead character and Harold Ramis (Ghostbusters) directing, it's easy to pull out laughter from the crowd.

Fraser continues to show that he is vastly underrated in Hollywood. The guy that can turn a profit for cheese like George of the Jungle and bring success to an action flick like The Mummy, also has a nerdy streak in him. What a clueless goofball he is at the start of the film! Ugh, I was so embarrassed for him. But that's the point, that we see what someone so naive and desperate will do for the perfect life and especially the perfect mate. And no, I have not yet considered this in my own life.

What can I say about Elizabeth Hurley other than....well, helloooooo, nurse! Sorry, SAG, but I don't care if she crossed the picket line of your strike to film a commercial. I would rather see as much of Hurley as possible than the countless sniveling fat guys who need to take Sudafed. She's oh-so good and very diabolical as the Princess of Darkness, so casually causing mayhem and reveling in it, able to manipulate Fraser at every turn, and acting genuinely surprised when his wishes don't turn out quite like he hoped.

So remember, when you buy your ticket, ask for BEDAZZLED, not the other one. Daz yes, booze no. Because, as Hurley points out, the choice is up to you for your Heaven and Hell on earth. While Hurley and Fraser are heaven, a pretentious Spike Lee film is most definitely not.

The verdict: -- Do you wish to be dazzled?

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